Mayweather set to fight Pacquiao - in court

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Unbeaten US boxer Floyd Mayweather will fight Filipino star Manny Pacquiao after all, although it will be a legal dispute after a federal judge denied a motion to dismiss the case.

Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather, among others, that US District Judge Larry Hicks ruled can proceed because there is sufficient evidence of malicious acts in accusing Pacquiao of being a dope cheat.

"The truth did not stop Mayweather and the others," Pacquiao's lawsuit contends. "That is because they are motivated by ill will, spite, malice, revenge and envy."

"Mayweather and the others set out on a course designed to destroy Pacquiao's career, reputation, honor and legacy and jeopardize his ability to earn the highest levels of compensation."

Pacquiao has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) but in the 2009 lawsuit he claims that Mayweather, his father Floyd Snr and uncle Roger, promoter Oscar de la Hoya and his employee, Richard Schaefer conducted a campaign in a set of interviews to make people think he used them.

"Defendants argue that Pacquiao has failed to sufficiently allege malice because defendants could not have known one way or the other whether Pacquiao had actually taken PEDs when they made the alleged defamatory statements," Hicks wrote in the order upholding the lawsuit.

"However, the court finds that Pacquiao has sufficiently pled malice in the amended complaint."

Mayweather Promotions attorney Mark Tratos said he would continue to push for dismissal of the case, saying comments at the time were made about Pacquiao's hesitancy regarding blood tests and did not claim he was a dope cheat.

Pacquiao attorney Dan Petrocelli said his client's career would suffer major damage if fans believed he used banned substances.

"Manny has an unblemished reputation and has earned all of his achievements through hard work and his natural-born talent and to call him a cheater is something he cannot and will not tolerate," Petrocelli said.

"None of these defendants have had any evidence to back up the assertion that he has taken performance-enhancing drugs because he didn't."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jFdLwKiEu-jlxgRnIjURkJAU2Vlg?docId=CNG.fea68d58c801d6c0142b5aec8dad2aa0.321

More diva antics from Manny.

Manny is a diva, but I agree with him on this. What the Mayweathers have done is 100% slander.

Please, that greedy little woman just wants more money to fill his pockets.

You gotta have tough skin when you're at the top.

Insults are one thing. Slander is another.

The only person who's worthy of a slander case is that ignorant buffoon Floyd Sr.

who thinks something is actually going to come out of this?

my guess is nothing happens. things stay the way they are and we get no fight.

I'm happy about this lawsuit for a number of reasons.

1. Boxing no longer needs Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Pac by himself is more than enough entertainment.

2. In all my years of watching boxing, I've never seen a boxer bad mouth a fellow fighter and refuse to fight him at the same time. This lawsuit will take away Mayweather's only trump card which boils down to false accusations vs. Pac. When the public sees that MW's camp was hiding behind this, not to expose Pac, but to avoid fighting him, Floyd's reputation will fall deeper into the abyss.

i agree totaly with frank slick and grant on this one.there are boundries you simply dont cross if you have one ounce of decentcy in you.its not a case of because your on top you need thick skin.thats a feeble ass excuse to say anything goes.well anything doesnt go if you have just a tiny tiny bit of respect and decentcy in you..

This judgement should stir up all the flomos at ESPN and elsewhere, and start a plethora of new pac-'riod threads. I hope in the end Manny gets a huge settlement out of this, and GBP and the Duckweather family go bankrupt.

BTW, I don't see where Pacquiao is being a "diva", filing a lawsuit and following it up was the right thing to do, if nothing else it will clear his name.

The right thing to do would be to grow some thick skin. Any fan with half a brain knows Manny's not using peds.

Ali wrote:The right thing to do would be to grow some thick skin. Any fan with half a brain knows Manny's not using peds.

Ali, the problem is that a lot of fans don't half 1/2 of a brain. These people buy tickets, pay good money to see fights and are very vulnerable to believe anything that anyone says. Look at Teddy Atlas. He's on Floyd's side and he supposedly has enough brains to be a commentator on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

I don't like this attitude that alot of people have across the Atlantic, suing isn't the answer to everything.

Ali you need to go look up the definition of slander

Example if I made public accusations about my business competitor without zero proof and it damaged the reputation of that company, I'd get my ass sues and rightfully lose.

We have free speech, but that does't mean there isn't consequences in what you say, especially if it's intended to damage the reputation of another.

Who knows, the rood accusations might have cost PAC endorsement deals

what is the point of court? Mayweather already won this lawsuit in hypothetical land. No point now.